Weed puller



March 15., 1960 R. w. ARMSTRONG 2,928,655

WEED FULLER Filed Dec. 17. 1954 IN VENTOR Bar ATTORNEY Richard W Armstrong The present invention relates to implements and more particularly to an implement for attachment to a persons States Patent 7' EQQ the arch portion of the sole plate and the strap engages the shoe on either side and engages the ankle above the a heel permitting the heel of the shoe to be raised from foot for performing various kinds of useful work such as t removing weeds and cultivating gardens and lawns.

Heretofore various devices have been produced for removing weeds from gardens and lawns and most of these have been hand operated devices requiring stooping by the gardener with the resulting strain on the back causing the gardener much discomfort before all of the weeds were removed. As a result there have been many poorly kept lawns and gardens and a satisfactory solution to this problem has not been found heretofore.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gardening implement which, overcomes the defects of the prior art and which greatly assists in the satisfactory upkeep of gardens and lawns.

A further object is to provide an implement which may be attached directly to the foot of a person for doing useful work by the strong leg muscles without requiring the tiring work of using the hands and arms.

Another object is to provide a cultivating tool which does not require the use of the hands, leaving them free for other work.

A further object is to provide a tool which can be used without producing objectionable stains or blisters on the hands and which can be used by men or women with a high degree of efficiency.

Other and further objects will become apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which: i

Figure 1 is a perspective of one form of implement attached to a persons foot shown in phantom lines;

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of'a' major portion of the blank from which the implement of Figure 1 is formed.

Figure 5 illustrates the use of the implement for removing weeds from the ground shown in section; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another form of the invention.

Briefly the present invention includes a sole plate having an abutment for engagement with the toe end of a shoe sole and an elastic means extending from the arch portion of the sole plate to'the rear portion of the shoe and into contact with the ankle to secure the plate to the shoe in a manner which permits the user to walk while the toe portion of the shoe sole is maintained in intimate abutting relation with the abutment. At the edges of the toe portion of the plate, upwardly projecting means which may be a continuation of the abutment engage the side edges of the toe portion of the shoe sole with the V the plate in walking.

A V-notched blade projects from the toe of the sole plate approximately one inch above the bottom or ground contacting surface thereof and the front end of such sole plate acts as a fulcrum of a lever. In use the device is secured to one foot of the user who, While standing on. the other foot, causes the blade to be thrust into the ground at an acute angle and into contact with a rooto'f a weed or plant and then by stepping down on the heel raises the notched end of the blade lifting the weed or plant from the ground. The device can then be used to press the earth back into the hole resulting from the removal of the weed.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, -the implement of the present invention includes a sheet metal sole plate 10 of a size to accommodate shoes of many different sizes with an abutment 11 for engagement with the toe end of a shoe sole. At the edges of the-toe portion of the sole plate, upwardly projecting means in the form of crescent-shaped sections 13, 14 are bent from the material of the sole plate to along lines 15, 16 respectively, providing flanges for engaging the side edges of the toe portion of the sole of a shoe, thereby confining the toe portion of the shoe against lateral movement relative to the sole plate.

A blade 17 having a V-notch 18 is formed from the sheet material of the sole blank and includes triangu- "larly shaped reinforcing sections 19, 20. The blank :is

folded on'lines 21, 22 forming the abutment l1 and along lines 23, 24 so that triangular brace sections 19 and 20 may be in position shown in the finished article, the edges 25, 26, and 27 coming together substantially on a vertical line being secured by hard soldering, welding, brazing or the like into an integral unit, similarly edges 28, 29 and 36) come together and are secured in a similar way, thereby completing the toe end of the implement,

The sole plate is reinforced along its length by downwardly extending ribs 31 and 32 which may be formed by any suitable operation such as stamping and the entire blank may be formed in a single stamping operation,'if desired. it will be noted that the flanges 13, 14 prevent bending in the toe portion of the sole plate and the ribs 31, 32 overlap said toe portion providing a continuous .beam action for the entire length of the device including the blade 7 with braces 19, 20.

Openings 33 are provided at the upper margin of the upwardly extending flange means 13, and 14 for receiving a cord such as a shoe lace 34 which passes across the toe portion 35 of a shoe, thereby preventing the toe portion 35 of the shoe from-becoming separated from the sole plate 10. For different sizes of shoes the cord or shoe lace 34 may be passed through selected openings 33 and if desired a web may be formed although a singlecord has been found to work satisfactorily permitting the required adjustments for different sizes'of shoes.

Means are provided for maintaining the toe portion :of the select a shoe in intimate contact with the upwardly projecting portions Ill, 13 and 14 including an endless elastic band 36 having each bight in a's lot 37 of a clip 38 at each side of the arch portion of the sole .plate It? with the slots serving to provide for adjustment of the effective length of the band 36. A number of corrugations39 (see Fig- 3) are downwardly depressed and suitable apertures 40 are'formec'l in the corrugations :for receiving a hookportion 4'21 of the clips 38 whereby the point of attachment of the clip to the sole plate may be made to accommodate shoes of varying sizes; It will be observed that the top surface of the sole plate is free of irregularities thereon so that the shoe may firmly rest 2,928,655. Paterrted Mar. 15, 1960 panying claims.

thereon. The elastic band 36 is preferably of a length to pass around the ankle portion as shown above the top of'the oxford type shoe so that the foot is held firmly in the toe of the shoe and the shoe is firmly held against the abutment 11 and flanges 13 and 14 as will be apparent. It is desirable that the sole plate beof a length to overlap at least a portion of the heel of the shoe so that the sole plate may'o'verlap a large shoe heel only slightly but very substantially overlap heels of small shoes so that a single size of implement will serve to meet the needs of the trade. The number of apertures 40 and their location will provide for necessary adjustments and a the arrangement shownpermits a person to walk in a normal fashion from one weed to another without diflijculty.

From the above description of the device the operation is believed to be apparent, but upon reference to Fig.

5 the implementis shown in full lines immediately after the blade 17 has been thrust into the ground by movement of the left lower leg in an arcuate path about the left knee as a center so as to penetrate, the ground ad- I jacent the arch portion of the other foot 42 shown in dot'dash lines which supports the persons weight during this movement. After the penetration of the ground when the blade 17 engages the root 43 of the weed, the user merely places his weight on'his left foot pressing the heel down so the implement is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 thereby lifting the weed or plant from the ground. Thereafterthe sole plate 10 may be used to pack the disturbed earth so that the appearance of the lawn is kept neat during the weeding process.

The modification of the invention shown in Fig. 6

includes a plank or board 50 providing a plate upon 7 which a shoe is adapted to be positioned and retained thereon by means of upwardly extending webs 51 and 52 having eyelets 53 at their upper edges for the passage of a lace 54 which extends over the toe portion of a shoe providing necessary adjustment and retaining the implement on a shoe; the lower edges of the webs 51 and 52 are secured by means of a strip 55 which is fastened by means ofscrews or the like 56 to the edge of the board 50, there being a groove in the edge of the board 50 for increasing the holding effect. A preferably elastic strap 57 is also secured to the board adjacent the arch portion of the shoe by the same strip 55 and is adjustable by means of a buckle. or the like which may include a separable fastener for ease of application of the implement to the foot. i

V A blade 58 may be formed from strap iron and received into a mortised groove in the board 50 and is re- .It will be apparent that the implement is adaptable for use on either foot of a person. A single implement serves the needs of left or right footed people, regardless of the size.

Itwill also be apparent that changes maybe made within the scope of the invention as defined in the accent- I claim:

1. A blank for a gardening implement comprising a trapezoidal portion with a V-notch at its small end, a

rectangular section connected to the long base of the trapezoidal section at its center, a shoe sole shaped plate connected at its toe end to the rectangular section, crescent shaped sections on each edge of said sole plate adjacent said rectangular section and having a series of.

holes adjacent their free edges, said sole plate being provided with a series of holes along the arch portion of the sole plate, said plate being provided with reinforcing ribs along its length.

2. A tool for lifting a weed or plant substantially perpendicularly out of the ground without making an excessive divot comprising an elongated body for support from a limb of a person for manipulating the tool, said body being of greater length than the length of a persons foot from the toe to the forward end of the heel, the bottom surface of said body providing a ground engaging surface, a weed engaging projection extending from "the toe end of the body and offset upwardly from the ground engaging surface of the body an appreciable amount in the order of one inch, said projection pro ecting from the toe end of the body a sufiicient distance so that the projection can be protruded into the ground adjacent the weed at an acute angle with the ground when the tip of the projection is adjacent the bottom of the weed root and when the toe end of the ground engaging surface of the body engages the ground, the toe end of the ground engaging surface of the body being of greater width than said projection to prevent objection able sinking into the soil, said tool being usable by pivotal movement of said tool about the toe end and bottom surface of the elongated member to lift the weed substantially vertically:

3. The invention according to .claim'2 in which the .body is made of sheet material and an abutment is provided on the toe end of the body for engagement with the toe end of a foot, and means are provided to retain the body of a foot in a manner urging the toe of the foot against the abutment and permitting a person to walk comstrap of iron mortised into the plank and an abutment is provided at the toe end of the body projecting above the upper surface of the plank body for firmly engaging the toe end of a shoe, and means are provided to secure the tool to the shoe and foot of a person.

7. The invention according to claim 2 in which the lower forward end of the body is rounded providing a fulcrum of substantial width.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 173,435 Ballet al -e Feb. 15, 1876 382,261 Hitchcock May 1, 1888 1,336,276 Brightwell Apr. 6, 1920 1,954,854 Vonderahe .Q. Apr. 17, 1934 2,017,436 Gebhardt -Oct. 15, 1935 2,378,459 Beardsley June 19, 1945 2,779,262 Furr et al. Jan. 29, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 135,284 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1919 

